July 30, 2013

These courses are held twice a year, in spring and autumn (both lovely times to be in Kyoto), and are 10 days minimum. Both beginners and experienced weavers are welcome!

In these courses students focus on Kasuri (ikat), starting with the basics in the Foundation Kasuri Course (10 days). If you would like to study further, you can then experiment with two new kasuri techniques in Applied Kasuri Course I (10 days), and work on your own design in Applied Kasuri Course II and III (10 days minimum). There is also a Beginners Course (12 days) if you are new to weaving.

Changes:
1) We will no longer be accepting students on a first-come, first-served basis. All eligible applications submitted by the application deadline will be considered.
2) You can now download the application form!

July 7, 2013

July 7 is Tanabata, the only day in the year that Orihime and her husband Hikoboshi, who are seperated by the milky way, have a chance to meet.
Orihime (織姫 Weaving Princess), daughter of the Tentei (天帝 Sky King, or the universe itself), wove beautiful clothes by the bank of the Amanogawa (天の川 Milky Way, lit. "heavenly river"). Her father loved the cloth that she wove and so she worked very hard every day to weave it. However, Orihime was sad that because of her hard work she could never meet and fall in love with anyone. Concerned about his daughter, Tentei arranged for her to meet Hikoboshi (彦星 Cow Herder Star) (also referred to as Kengyuu (牽牛)) who lived and worked on the other side of the Amanogawa. When the two met, they fell instantly in love with each other and married shortly thereafter. However, once married, Orihime no longer would weave cloth for Tentei and Hikoboshi allowed his cows to stray all over Heaven. In anger, Tentei separated the two lovers across the Amanogawa and forbade them to meet. Orihime became despondent at the loss of her husband and asked her father to let them meet again. Tentei was moved by his daughter’s tears and allowed the two to meet on the 7th day of the 7th month if she worked hard and finished her weaving. The first time they tried to meet, however, they found that they could not cross the river because there was no bridge. Orihime cried so much that a flock of magpies came and promised to make a bridge with their wings so that she could cross the river.It is said that if it rains on Tanabata, the magpies cannot come and the two lovers must wait until another year to meet. -from wikipedia, read more here

To celebrate Tanabata, we write our wishes on a piece of paper and hang it on a bamboo tree. Students at KTS do so with wishes to get better at weaving (and other wishes too).